There are many factors, which must be taken into consideration when holding or transporting fish in captivity in a water tank. Fish are dependent on the water in which they swim along with the chemistry of the water to sustain life. It is a known fact that fish respond stressfully to being held in captivity and even more so when a tank is crowded with other fish. Severe losses of captive fish will result from this stress placed upon the fish unless the condition of the water in the tank is chemically changed to enhance the ability of the water in the tank to support fish life.
After 25 years of research by the inventors named herein into the question of why the life expectancy of fish is dramatically shortened during captivity, numerous experiments have been conducted to counter the effects of stress upon fish held in tanks. Water parameters have been studied and the identified water parameters have been assessed to understand the effect of each water parameter on stress and eventually on the mortality of the fish. The assessed parameters include, but were not limited to, the effects of osmotic balances between the water and the fish's internal ionic balance, the effect of replenishing ammonia, the effect of reducing stress, the effects of reducing bacteria, fungal spores and viruses, the effect of replenishing the natural slime coating on the fish, the effect of eliminating chlorine and/or chloramines, the effect of eliminating heavy metals, the effect of eliminating pesticides and the effect of retarding the formation of surface water foam.
Other variables affecting the mortality of fish were found to include the presence of invasive species acquired during the fish transportation process, wherein such invasive species may be inadvertently contained within the water in the fish tank by way of the source of the water from a lake or river.
Live fish are held and transported in tanks for many reasons. Some live fish are transported back to hatcheries to obtain eggs and milt for spawning purposes. Other live fish are used in the aquarium trade after capture. Some live fish are transported through a distribution system for the sole purpose of eventually using those fish as live bait to catch other fish on a hook and line. Still other live fish are held in captivity for the enjoyment of tournament anglers to determine who can land the heaviest catch during a day of competitive fishing. These examples are not totally inclusive of the reasons why people transport live fish, but the examples serve the purpose of explaining why people desire that fish stay alive during captivity and remain alive should they be released or held for extended periods of time captive in a water tank.
A need remains in the art for a formula and method for treating the water in a fish tank which makes it simple for both trained and novice fish handlers to properly condition the water in a fish tank thereby increasing the ability of fish handlers to maintain the lives of fish held in captivity.